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ScotAccount Terms of Use

These Terms of Use set out the terms of use under which you may access and use the ScotAccount website and ScotAccount services. Please read these Terms of Use carefully and ensure that you understand them. Your agreement to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Use is deemed to occur upon your first registration of a ScotAccount. If you do not agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Use, you must stop using your ScotAccount and any ScotAccount services immediately.

We may make changes to these Terms of Use at any time. Any such changes will become binding on you upon your first use of ScotAccount services after the changes have been made. You are therefore advised to check this page from time to time.

1. Definitions

‘ScotAccount’ is the name for the individual digital identity services provided by the Scottish Government.

‘ScotAccount Services’ means any digital identity services provided by the Scottish Government to you, including registering for a ScotAccount, Sign On, and Verify Your Identity.

‘Website’ refers to the ScotAccount site through which you can register for a ScotAccount and access ScotAccount services.

‘Sign-On’ means the process by which you can register with the Scottish Government to create your ScotAccount and securely use your ScotAccount to sign in to a Service Provider.

‘Verify Your Identity’ means the ScotAccount Service which enables you to confirm your identity to a Service Provider, using official documentation (your passport, UK driving licence or UK biometric residence permit).

‘Service Provider’ means any Scottish public body which provides services to the public and which has agreed to partner with the ScotAccount service to provide access to their service‘s.

2. Information about us

ScotAccount and ScotAccount Services are provided by the Scottish Government. Our legal identity is ‘Scottish Ministers’.

3. Our obligations to you

We will provide access to the ScotAccount Website and ScotAccount Services in accordance with these Terms of Use.

We try to ensure that your use of the ScotAccount Website and ScotAccount Services is uninterrupted and that information transmitted within ScotAccount is free of errors. However, due to external factors, this cannot be guaranteed. Access to the ScotAccount Website and ScotAccount Services may also be suspended or restricted for a period to allow for repairs, maintenance or the introduction of new services or functionality from time to time. We shall try to limit the number and length of such periods as much as possible.

4. Personal data & privacy

We respect your privacy and we are committed to protecting your personal data. We provide you with information about how we collect, process and protect your personal data in our Privacy Notice.

We will only collect personal information about you which is required in connection with the administration of your ScotAccount and the verification of your identity.

In order to verify your identity we will share information about you with certain third parties and match the information you provide against data held by those third parties. These third parties include:

  • Experian
  • Mitek

During verification of your identity, you will be assigned a unique number. If your identity is successfully verified, this number is disclosed to the Service Provider of the service you are seeking to access together with confirmation that your identity has been successfully verified.

Some of our ScotAccount Services are designed to let you upload, submit, store, send, receive or share your data. You have no obligation to provide any data. You may choose the data that you want to provide. If you choose to upload or share data, you must make sure you have the necessary rights to do so and that the content is lawful.

If you choose not to share some data this may result in us being unable to provide a service, or a Service Provider being unable to grant you access to their service.

If you do not supply all of the required information and documents, or their authenticity cannot be sufficiently verified, we will not be able to sufficiently confirm your identity. If we cannot confirm your identity, we may be unable to provide you with the ScotAccount Service you require.

Where we, or a Service Provider, reasonably suspect suspicious activity in relation to the use of your ScotAccount, access to the ScotAccount website or any other ScotAccount Service, we reserve the right to report such suspicious activity to any appropriate agency or regulatory body. Where relevant, Service Providers also reserve this right.

5. Your use of the ScotAccount website

Some Service Providers may require you to have a ScotAccount to be able to sign in and access their services online.

Once your ScotAccount has been created you will be able to sign in to your ScotAccount using the applicable authentication process. From within your ScotAccount you have the option to manage information about yourself and to use ScotAccount Services.

You assert that all information and documents you submit to us are accurate and authentic to the best of your knowledge.

If the registration process results in no confirmation and/or no verification, your application will be rejected and ScotAccount Services will not be made available to you.

We have the sole authority and discretion to reject your application for a ScotAccount and ScotAccount Services if your application shows a significant risk of fraudulent information or activities.

It is important that you use your ScotAccount securely to prevent our services from being used improperly. By agreeing to these Terms of Use, you agree to:

  • keep your account details secure
  • not divulge your password or login details to any third parties
  • sign out of any shared computer after you are finished using ScotAccount services
  • use your account for personal use only – your account is not transferable

Improper use of your ScotAccount, including attempted fraudulent use, will lead to your account being disabled or revoked.

If you think your ScotAccount has been compromised and someone has accessed your account, you can contact ScotAccount@gov.scot to investigate

6. Limitations of use

You may use the ScotAccount Website for lawful purposes only. You must not use the Website in any way that causes, or is likely to cause, the Website or access to it to be damaged or interrupted in any way.

You must not use the ScotAccount Website for any of these reasons:

  • to transmit any material that is unlawful, harassing, libellous, defamatory, racially offensive, abusive, threatening, harmful, vulgar, obscene or otherwise objectionable.
  • to collect any data or attempt to decipher any transmissions to or from the servers running ScotAccount
  • in a way that could damage, disable, overburden, impair or compromise our systems or security
  • in a way that interferes with other users
  • in any unlawful or fraudulent manner or for any unlawful or fraudulent purpose
  • in a manner that is improper use or inconsistent with these terms and conditions
  • to gain or attempt to gain unauthorised access to the ScotAccount platform, the server on which the ScotAccount platform is stored or any server, computer or database connected to the ScotAccount platform, by hacking or other means
  • to transmit, send or upload any data that contains viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware or any other harmful programs designed to adversely affect the operation of computer software or hardware
  • in connection with any kind of denial of service attack or for any malicious purpose
  • with someone else’s registered details, unless you have the authority to do so from them

7. Our liability to you

We exclude all liability arising from or in relation to your use of ScotAccount and ScotAccount Services in so far as permitted by law. In no circumstances shall our liability under or in relation to the Terms of Use exceed ONE HUNDRED POUNDS (£100) STERLING.

Despite the foregoing, we are not attempting to exclude or limit any liability that we cannot limit or exclude under Scots law including (without limitation) liability for death or personal injury arising from our negligence, fraud or breach of statutory duty.

We have no liability for any third-party service that you may access using ScotAccount, including those provided by any Service Provider.

8. Cancellation - account deactivation and deletion

You can delete your ScotAccount at any time. To delete your ScotAccount, send your request to: ScotAccount@gov.scot. If following deletion you wish to continue using ScotAccount you will have to create a new account.

We reserve the right to suspend or delete your ScotAccount if:

  • you materially or repeatedly breach these terms and conditions;
  • there is reason to believe or suspect that any information, verification and/or validation provided is no longer correct, or has been faulty, false or fraudulent;
  • we are required to do so in compliance with a legal requirement or a court order;
  • we reasonably believe that your conduct causes harm or liability to us, another user or third party — for example, by hacking, phishing, harassing, spamming, misleading others, or scraping content;
  • your ScotAccount password has been entered incorrectly three times in a row — on each occasion this will cause your ScotAccount to be locked for one hour;
  • you do not sign in to or use your ScotAccount for a period of 24 months.

If you believe your ScotAccount has been suspended or deleted in error, you can contact us at ScotAccount@gov.scot

We may take action to enforce these terms and conditions and take other action as appropriate where we have suffered loss.

We have the right to refer any fraudulent or otherwise illegal activity, as well as any activities which reasonably raise suspicion of any such illegal activity, to the relevant authorities.

We may at our discretion discontinue the ScotAccount Services at any time without liability to you. We will endeavour to give you as much notice as we can, however this may not always be possible.

In the event that your ScotAccount is deleted for any reason, we shall delete your registration and all personal data except if, and to the extent that, we are required to keep relevant records for compliance purposes in accordance with applicable law and our Privacy Policy.

9. General

The Terms of Use are governed by Scots law and the Scottish Courts shall have non-exclusive jurisdiction.

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